Cancerous
by Fakin'it
Summary: Bella has cancer and only 2 weeks to live. She intends to tell Edward, but he dumps her before she can. Ever practical, Bella thinks being a vampire beats being dead, so time for plan B - the Volturi. Brand new Alice twist, never seen before. New Moon AU
1. Time For Plan B

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Introduction: Bella has cancer and is intending to tell Edward after her birthday, but instead he withdraws and dumps her. She has already decided becoming a vampire is way better than dying, with or without Edward and the Cullens, so she starts working on Plan B - the Volturi. Short story.

**Cancerous**

**Chapter One: Time for Plan B**

"We're leaving, Bella," Edward announced.

"Great!" I replied. "Just give me a few minutes to pack and write a note for Charlie, and I'll be ready to go."

"No, Bella," Edward sighed. "Not you. You're not coming. I don't _want_ you to come with us."

"You . . . don't . . . want me?"

He shook his head, scowling.

"Oh. Well, this changes things," I replied calmly, mentally processing his words. _So much for the future I'd planned. I guess there's no longer any need to tell him my little secret._ My time was running out fast, and he was no longer the answer to my future. I had to find a new future before time was up completely.

"Of course, I'll always love you . . . in a way, but I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I'm not human. I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."

I looked at him in confusion. "You haven't been pretending to be human around me for months, Edward. You don't have to pretend with me. Besides, I'm tired of being human too. Carlisle can change me, since it's too hard for you, and then none of us will have to worry about endangering me again."

He just stared at me. "You're not good for me, Bella."

I just stared back. _I'm glad I got to see this selfish, self-centered side of him before things went any further with our relationship. Thank heavens I didn't marry the prick before finding out how he really felt._

"If you say so," I murmured, ready for our conversation to be over, so I could make alternate plans.

"I would like to ask one favor, though, if that's not too much," he said.

"A favor?" I asked in disbelief. _He's dumping me and telling me I'm not good enough for him, but he expects me to do him a favor?_

He assumed I was agreeing and continued. "Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he ordered. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

_The prick thinks I'd commit suicide over him? If I wanted to die, I wouldn't have to do anything reckless or stupid. I'd just let nature take its course. Seriously, if I wasn't so opposed to the finality of death I never would've bothered asking him to change me in the first place._

I simply nodded, not wanting to get into it with him anymore.

"I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself – for him."

_Whatever, asshole. Like you really give a shit._

"Oh, I will," I confirmed confidently, swallowing a smirk. _I'll be taking care of myself alright, for my own sake. Charlie knows the score. If he knew the options I had, he'd be the first to encourage me to take advantage of the opportunity. Drinking blood can't possibly be worse than taking chemo._

"And I'll make you a promise in return," he said. "I promise this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed."

I snorted._ That last line has to be some of the worst bullshit I've ever heard. _He looked at me questioningly. I rolled my eyes, deliberately calling attention to my scar from James. "No matter what, you can't erase my knowledge of your existence, Edward. I wear the proof on my skin as a permanent reminder."

He winced and then smiled gently. "Don't worry. You're human – your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind."

I ignored that statement. I wasn't remaining human for long, one way or another. _He is seriously delusional if he believes the shit he's spouting. Can vampires go insane? I need to ask Carlisle. Perhaps he drank some contaminated blood or something?_ When I didn't respond to his nonsense, he took a step away from me. "That's everything, I suppose. We won't bother you again."

The plural caught my attention.

"Alice? Emmett? Esme? They weren't planning to even say goodbye to me?"

He shook his head slowly, watching my face. "No, they're all gone. They wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced them a clean break would be better for you."

I stared at him in mute disbelief._ Better for me? How the hell was it supposed to be better for me? Bloody prick! And they were convinced he was right? Did they all come down with the 'stupid' virus? Were they victims of mind control? They seriously thought it would be a good idea to abandon me without a word? __ Did they really not care about me at all? __Were they lying about loving me, just as he had been?_

"Goodbye, Bella," he said in a quiet, peaceful voice.

"Wait!" I choked out, struggling not to give in to my utter rage.

"Take care of yourself," he called and then disappeared at vampire speed.

I stared at the place where he had been for a few moments before letting the rage consume me._ That bloody asshole! How dare he show me a way out and then take it away from me? How dare he give me hope for a future and then tear it away? I would make him pay for toying with my emotions like this. Stupid jerk. _I didn't need him. I had paid careful attention to everything he told me, my natural caution always working on a Plan B, C, and D. Well, Alice, Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle may no longer be options, but they weren't the only vampires in existence._ If the Cullens don't want anything else to do with me, if they could so easily walk away from me without even a simple goodbye, then they obviously never cared about me in the first place._ In the face of this unexpected betrayal, I figured the Denali clan weren't a viable option either. They probably wouldn't help me now that the Cullens had deserted me.

The problem with the 'vegetarian' vampires was that they really had no incentive to change a human. They didn't like being vampires, didn't accept themselves for what they were. Thus, they thought it was a bad thing to grant the gift of immortality to another, believing it was better to die than to live forever as a vampire._ Idiots! It's easy for them to say. You don't see them throwing themselves into the fire to rid themselves of their cursed existence, did you? Well, I'm not ready to die. I don't intend to give up so easily on my own existence. I don't really give a shit whether my heart beats or not, as long as I'm still walking, talking, and thinking._ Since they didn't drink human blood, I couldn't even tempt them with the promise of the supposedly superior taste of my life source. _I should have known I was wasting my time when Edward sucked out James's venom instead of allowing the change. I could've saved myself so much pain and suffering if I went through the change months ago, but no, I foolishly believed Edward loved me as a mate and would eventually be willing to change me himself. After all, I didn't really want James's venom coursing through my body for all eternity. I was a fool back then, but not anymore._

No, I needed human drinkers to do my change for me, but not the sadistic, barbaric kind like James. I needed the civilized kind, that could be rationalized with, and thanks to Edward, I knew just where to find them. I needed the Volturi in Italy to grant me my future.

My mind made up, I headed back to my house and began packing a bag with all the irreplaceable mementos I wanted to bring with me into eternity. With that done, I cleaned up the house and made a few meals for Charlie, placing them into the freezer for later. As I finished with the last batch and dinner for that night, Charlie came home.

"Bella?"

"I'm in the kitchen," I answered. He strolled in, after hanging up his jacket and gun.

"Something smells good," he murmured appreciatively.

I smiled and placed dinner on the table, taking a seat and waiting for him to join me.

"Dad, I've made a choice. I'm going to leave, to travel."

He looked at me in surprise, feeling a bit hurt. "You're going back to your mom?"

I shook my head. "You know she can't handle this." He nodded in agreement. "No, I want to go to Europe and see the sights. To see as much as I can, before it's too late."

He looked at me in concern. "But what about . . ."

I shook my head and interrupted, "Dad, you and I both knew if the cancer came back there would be no hope. The doctors made it pretty clear last time that if all the treatments failed, they had nothing left to offer. At least we've had this much time together, right? You heard the specialist's report yesterday. The cancer is back and stronger than ever. He only gave me two weeks – a month at the most. I don't want to waste away in a hospital bed, or even my own bed. I've got these wonderful pain pills keeping me from really feeling the effects. I want to go out with a bang. I want to_ live_ for my last couple of weeks. Experience the best this world has to offer. Like that movie The Bucket List. Please understand, Dad. I know you don't want to let me go, but you're going to have to do it soon anyway. I'd rather leave you with the memory of me standing strong and excited about heading off to fun and adventure, than have you watch the last of my life drain away."

Charlie sighed and rubbed his temples. "I understand where you're coming from, Bells, and I won't deny your last request. Look, you might as well splurge with your college fund, seeing as you won't be needing it. Go out in style. Just, please, call me every day, okay? So I know you're all right. And you can always change your mind and come back if it gets to be too much. I'm glad you had a chance to experience love before the end, even if I never really trusted that boy. I won't even object if you decide to take him with you. Just don't tell me any details of your wild shenanigans, okay? I'm still your old man, and there are plenty of things I just don't want or need to know."

He coughed and blushed, and we both chuckled awkwardly. I got up and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, Dad. I'll love you forever. Thanks so much for letting me spend this time with you, getting to know you. It's meant the world to me. I'm starting my journey to see the sights tomorrow."

He hugged me back and gruffly shared, "I love you too, Bella, and I wouldn't have missed this for the world. Thanks for giving me this chance to spend this time with you. I'll drive you to the airport tomorrow."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

I made my way upstairs and took an extra pill to help me sleep. I needed the rest to be able to cope with my busy day tomorrow.

**XXXXX**

My trip to Italy was uneventful. I had been secretly studying Italian, with the help of a computer program, ever since I returned from Phoenix. Edward had told me Carlisle's story the day I met his family and had mentioned Aro and his brothers then. I had been impressed that Carlisle felt highly enough about the Volturi to live with them for eighty years. Carlisle had learned a lot from these civilized vampires, though in the end he had chosen to leave them when he realized he couldn't convince them to change to his diet. _What a surprise! Not._ When Edward had refused to allow my change to progress, going so far as to actually suck James's venom out of my body, I had begun making a contingency plan that didn't involve the Cullens, though I had never really expected to use it. Now I was more than grateful for my paranoid preparations. My 'women's intuition' had kicked in at the time, finding it odd that Edward would be willing to risk my life by drinking the blood of his singer, rather than have me become a vampire. If it was only about James's venom, he could have added his own venom to my bloodstream. Instead, I had spent weeks in the hospital and months in a cast recovering from my injuries, enduring a lot more pain and suffering than I would have burning for a mere three days. Especially since I _still _needed to go through those three days of burning. I would have preferred to just get the three days over with back then, rather than suffering the pain of my injuries and then the pain of the cancer, only to now have to face those same three days.

Coming home from Phoenix unable to shower by myself, some gut instinct had warned me not to rely solely upon the Cullens for my salvation. So, not only had I learned Italian, but I had invested in the stock market with Alice's help. Utilizing her visions, my meager college fund, which wouldn't have even paid for one semester's tuition, had subsequently grown into a small fortune. Charlie wasn't aware of it, of course, but I really could afford to go out in style. Initially, I had just wanted to be able to pay for things myself and not be dependent on the Cullens' money for everything, but that little bit of foresight was sure paying dividends now that the Cullens weren't around anymore.

I rented a car and made my way to Volterra. Once there, I wandered around until I spotted a cloaked figure lurking in the shadows. I deliberately stood within a crowd of people nearby.

"I need to speak with the Volturi," I muttered under my breath. "I need to talk to Aro, Marcus, and Caius, please."

As I spoke, the figure's head popped up and red eyes met mine. His eyes were narrowed in surprise and suspicion, but as I finished my request, he nodded. He gestured with his hand that I should follow him. I nodded and quietly joined him in the shadows. He watched me approach him in amazement, likely wondering why I was willingly walking to my death.

He led me through the alleyways and to a storm drain. He jumped down into the blackness, and I froze.

"Okay, umm, yeah. I don't think I can do this. I can't see the bottom," I protested nervously.

He chuckled a bit. "So, you want to go before the brothers, but you're scared of the dark?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not scared of the dark, dipwad. I'm scared of breaking my legs when I hit the ground."

He growled when I called him a dipwad, but quieted as I admitted my real fear. "I'll catch you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well, just keep in mind that Aro would probably really like to hear my story about how I know all about you guys, which he'll never know if I die before he meets me. Also, catching a human without seriously damaging her isn't as easy as it sounds. Think about trying to catch an egg. You have to relax and give with the downward motion of my body. Otherwise, it'll be like me landing on two steel bars. Ouch. Broken bones, spilled blood, thirsty vampire, not a good combination. Got it?"

He was quiet a moment. "You are one strange human," he admitted, sounding slightly awed. "Fine, I've got it. I'll do my best to catch you without causing bodily harm, okay?"

I sighed. "Okay, here I come."

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, sat down on my bottom, then lowered myself into the hole slowly. Once I was hanging by my hands, I let go. I only fell a few feet before landing in the vampire's arms. True to his word, he allowed himself to absorb the impact, so I wouldn't be absorbing the shock and force into my own body. He set me down gently onto my feet.

"Thanks," I offered. I glanced around, but couldn't see anything. "Alright, friend, I don't have vampire vision, so I can't see a doggone thing. If you want to get anywhere in a hurry, I'd better hop on your back."

He coughed. "Seriously? You are by far the freakiest human I've ever encountered. By all means, hop on and hold on tight. We'll be inside the castle in a few seconds."

"Great. Just hold your breath if my scent will be too much for you."

He laughed outright as I climbed on his back. "It's a little late to be worried about me eating you, isn't it? Seeing as how you followed me down here . . . into the dark . . . all alone."

I snickered. "I'm counting on Aro's curiosity and your fear of him to keep me safe for the time being."

He shook his head. "You really know way, way too much for your own good. You do know you won't be leaving here alive, don't you?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, though I'm hoping I'll still be walking and talking, if you know what I mean."

"You want to become a vampire?"

I shrugged. "Beats being dead."

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm Demetri, by the way."

"Bella, Bella Swan."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

**XXXXX**

**AN:** So, what do you think? Want to know what Aro thinks of this strange girl?


	2. Life is Good, Immortality is Better

From Last Chapter:

_He shook his head. "You really know way, way too much for your own good. You do know you won't be leaving here alive, don't you?"_

_I shrugged. "Yeah, though I'm hoping I'll still be walking and talking, if you know what I mean."_

_"You want to become a vampire?"_

_I shrugged. "Beats being dead."_

_He laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm Demetri, by the way."_

_"Bella, Bella Swan."_

_"Nice to meet you."_

_"Likewise."_

**Chapter Two: Life is Good, Immortality is Better**

I couldn't even feel us moving, but suddenly we were inside a stone building. He moved at a slower speed, but still faster than a human, which allowed me to at least get a glimpse of where we were going. We went through several empty corridors and up a flight of stairs before stopping in front of a set of double doors. Demetri squatted down so I could climb off his back.

He put his finger over his lips to indicate I should stay quiet, and I nodded to show I understood. Then he opened the door and led me into the room. I saw the three brothers sitting on their thrones. Their eyes turned to me and followed my progress into the room. I was able to recognize which was which from the painting Edward had showed me.

"What have we here, Demetri?" Aro asked with interest. Demetri stopped in front of them and bowed deeply. He used his hands to let me know I should stay put until told otherwise.

"I believe you need to see this, Master, to get the full effect," Demetri declared. He took a few steps forward and offered his hand to Aro. Aro took it eagerly and closed his eyes as he absorbed Demetri's memories. His eyes popped open in shock.

"She asked for us by NAME?" Hmm. Aro must have some kind of mind reading gift, but only through touch. I wonder if it'll work on me, since Edward's didn't.

"WHAT?" Caius demanded. Even Marcus raised his eyebrows at this piece of information, though he did not otherwise react.

Aro turned and examined me. "Come here, girl," he commanded. I walked right to him. He stared at me curiously. "Are you not afraid?"

I shook my head.

"Why not?" Caius exclaimed angrily. "Are you stupid?"

I laughed. "No, I just have no sense of self-preservation. Look, either you'll kill me or change me. If you're going to kill me, I'd be dead within two weeks anyway, so what difference does it make? At least this way my life would have been given to help provide life for another. If you change me, then I won't die. So it'll hurt for a few days. I'm no stranger to pain. For me, it's a win/win situation."

Caius was taken aback at my assessment. "What do you mean?" he asked calmly, his curiosity engaged. Even Marcus didn't look quite so bored.

"Please, allow me?" Aro requested, holding out his hand for mine.

"It might not work," I warned him as I placed my hand in his. He was obviously skeptical of my warning, but his somewhat condescending mood rapidly changed to surprise, frustration, and then excitement.

"How did you know, child? What are you doing to keep me from reading your mind?" he demanded. There were gasps all around.

"I don't know," I admitted. "It's not something I do on purpose, but I met another mindreader and he wasn't able to use his gift on me."

"I cannot sense her either, Master," Demetri added.

The brothers were all intrigued now. Caius was clearly disturbed.

"How is she blocking you? She's only human!" he exclaimed.

"I know!" Aro agreed excitedly. "If she is this powerful as a human, just imagine how powerful she will be as one of us!"

Marcus nodded, looking at me intently now. "She must be a shield."

Aro nodded, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Jane, dear, would you mind?"

A young teenager stepped forward. "Of course, Master."

She concentrated on me, narrowing her eyes. I stared back, waiting for something to happen. After a few moments, her expression changed to frustration and disappointment. "I'm sorry, Master," she whimpered.

He chuckled, "Don't fret, dear one, she confounds us all. Excellent! You will make a wonderful addition to our guard, my dear Bella. First, though, we'd very much like to hear your story about what led you here to us."

I tilted my head. "The long version or the short version?"

He chuckled again. "Felix, please get the young lady a comfortable chair."

"Yes, Master," he replied with a bow before zipping out of the room, returning seconds later with a plush armchair. He set it down in front of the brothers and backed away respectfully. Aro gestured for me to have a seat, which I did. Once I was settled comfortably, he answered my question, "How about the medium version, and we'll ask questions as we go if we want more details?"

I nodded and began, "Well, I moved to Forks, Washington in America to live with my father last January. There were five vampires who attended school with me at the time. The first day, I sat next to Edward Cullen in one of my classes and noticed his odd reaction to me. I had already noticed that they were all extremely pale, with dark shadows under their eyes, and their inhuman beauty. I had observed that they didn't eat anything at lunchtime and seemed to be able to hear things softly spoken from across a crowded room. I also thought their names were rather old fashioned and noticed a similarity in their appearance to one another, despite the fact that they were all 'adopted'. In class, Edward glared at me murderously, with solid black eyes. His fists were clenched and he didn't seem to be breathing. He gripped onto the desk hard enough to leave finger marks in the wood, which he erased by rubbing them out. He disappeared for the rest of the week. I later found out that my blood called to him like no other he had ever encountered, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to massacre the entire classroom of students just so he would have time to savor my blood. When he returned to school the next week, I noticed his eyes were now a golden color instead of black, and he seemed to know things about me despite me not having told him anything. The next day, he saved me from being killed by a van. I saw everything he did, which included moving at superhuman speed and using superhuman strength. I also noticed how cold and hard his body was. He pretended I was delusional, but when I insisted, he promised to tell me the truth, so I lied and covered for him so nobody would know his secret. He then refused to tell me about himself anyway. A few other small incidents happened, like how he skipped out on the blood typing experiment in Biology, but I found out the real truth from someone else. The local Indian tribe has legends about the 'Cold Ones'. I went there with some friends, and an old family friend from the tribe told me some of the legends as scary stories, though he didn't believe they were real. As soon as I heard the legends, I put it together with the knowledge I had already gleaned about the Cullens, and I knew they were vampires. Rather than be horrified, I was actually excited to find the supernatural was real. Rather than running in fear from the Cullens, I wanted to get closer.

A few days later, Edward saved me from being gang-raped by four evil men in a nearby small city. It was then that I figured out he was also a mind reader and confronted him with my knowledge that he was a vampire. Since I already knew the main secret, he confirmed the details and separated fact from fiction for me. We then started spending time together, learning about each other. He couldn't read my mind, which was fascinating to him.

That weekend, after we confessed our feelings for one another, I went to his house to meet his family. A storm came rolling in and they wanted to play baseball, so we all went up into the mountains to a flat clearing. During the game, three nomads appeared, having heard the noise of them playing. They caught my scent and the leader, James, decided he wanted to eat me. He was a tracker and apparently made a game of it whenever he found a human being protected by vampires. Long story short, he managed to call me and had gotten hold of some old home movies, which he used to convince me he was holding my mother hostage. I escaped from the Cullens and went to meet James on my own, as he had promised he would let my mother go free if I would come take her place. I was relieved to find that he had tricked me and didn't have my mother after all. I was disturbed to realize he intended to torture me before killing me and was filming the whole process. Finally, the bloodlust overcame him and he bit me, just as the Cullens came bursting in to save me. They killed James, and then Edward sucked all the venom out so I wouldn't transform. I was very disappointed and wished he had simply let me change, but figured he might want to do it himself, so I let it go. I should have realized then that they were all lying to me. I begged often to be changed and was always refused." They all stared at the bite mark on my wrist in amazement.

"Everything was fine over the summer. Our relationship progressed. He repeatedly promised he loved me, as did the rest of the family, but everything changed after my birthday. I didn't even want to celebrated it, but Alice insisted. I accidentally sliced open my finger, which made everybody thirsty. Jasper tensed and Edward overreacted as usual. He pushed me into a table full of glass plates, which broke and sliced up my arm." I paused and showed them my stitches. "Poor Jasper snapped and attacked. Edward defended me, and the others dragged Jasper outside. It wasn't his fault though. He's an empath and was overcome by the bloodlust of six other vampires on top of his own. Carlisle was the only one who could stay in the room with me, so he cleaned the wound and stitched it back together.

A few days later, Edward broke up with me, saying I wasn't good enough for him and he didn't want me anymore. That he did love me in a way, but that he had just been pretending to be human when he was with me. He thought I would just forget all about them. He's such an idiot. What hurt the most is that all of them left without even saying goodbye. Alice was supposed to be my best friend and sister. Emmett was my big brother. Esme was the mother I always wanted. Carlisle was a second father. Even if Edward didn't want to be my mate, why did all the rest of them abandon and betray me like that? Was I really nothing more than Edward's little human pet, like James implied? Had they all been lying to me all this time?"

I sighed and looked down at the floor, trying to keep my tears out of my voice. I allowed my anger at the injustice of the situation to rise instead. "Well, they may have erased their presence in my life, but they couldn't erase my memories. During my time with them, I paid close attention to everything they said, creating contingency plans that didn't rely on them to gain my future, just in case. I have advanced stage rapid growing cancer. It's back for the third time. Three strikes and I'm out. The doctors gave me two weeks three days ago. Frankly, I don't want to die. I don't have any problem becoming a vampire. I don't view it as being damned to eternity as a soulless monster. I see it as a way to cheat death. I see it as a miracle, an answered prayer. I would love to become a vampire, which is why I am here. I heard the stories of Carlisle's time with you and sought you out in hopes you would allow me to join you. I wasn't sure what I would be able to offer in return for immortality, but it sounds like I must be gifted, so hopefully we can now help each other."

I looked at them expectantly. I didn't have to wait long for their reactions.

"The Cullens up and left you behind with knowledge of our kind and a grudge to bear against them?" Caius demanded. It was pretty much a rhetorical question, but I nodded anyway.

"They refused to change you, even though you asked for it? They even prevented a change that was already in progress?" Aro asked incredulously. I nodded again.

"Did Edward claim you were his mate?" Marcus inquired thoughtfully.

"Yes," I admitted bitterly. "He claimed I was his soulmate, and he would love me forever. He told me that vampires mate for eternity, and there would never be anyone else for him. He also promised never to leave me. He was a good liar."

Marcus nodded sadly. "Did he claim you? Physically?"

I looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Did he ever bite you or mark you in some way? Particularly during intimacy?" he clarified.

I blushed and shook my head. "We only kissed. We never . . . I've never . . . you know . . . I'm still a . . . um," I confessed nervously, my face tomato red.

"You're still an innocent?" Aro clarified gently. "A maiden?"

I nodded, not meeting anyone's eyes. I heard a few masculine murmurs flash around the room.

"You weren't his soulmate, child," Marcus informed me quietly. "It would have been impossible for him to taste you without taking you, no matter how much self-control he had. Tasting your lips would have been enough, much less tasting your blood. I'm afraid he was simply intrigued by your silent mind, your pleasant aroma, and your willingness to befriend him even knowing his secret."

I groaned and nodded. "I was afraid of that. I could always sense it was merely temporary. I never could understand what he saw in me in the first place."

Caius growled. "Don't you dare listen to that bizarre pitiful excuse for a vampire! He was the one who wasn't good enough for you, not the other way around. In fact, you are worthy to be a Volturi, and the Cullens were fools to let you go, in addition to being lawbreakers. Don't worry, they will be dealt with accordingly."

I sighed. "Please don't go after them on my account. They did hurt me, but I still don't want to see them get hurt. I'm not the vengeful type."

Caius huffed and muttered, "Oh, but I am."

Aro quickly jumped into the fray. "Yes, child, you are welcome here. We will gladly change you and invite you to join us. I never fully understood just how much the Cullens loathed their existence." Aro shook his head sadly.

"We can fix that," Caius muttered again. "If they don't appreciate their existence, we can simply eradicate it for them."

"Hmmm," Aro replied, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "It appears there are side effects to feeding from animals after all. I always suspected there might be. Such perversion of one's natural diet was bound to cause problems over time."

"Yes, it makes you an imbecile," Caius growled. "No surprise there."

"As well as depressed and ungrateful," Marcus added. "Not to mention deceitful, dismissive, and self-centered."

"Frankly, I expected more of Carlisle," Aro remarked. The other two nodded disparagingly. Aro frowned. "I tried to tell him a lion could not survive feeding on plants alone. A predator's body isn't designed to function without meat. He was certain he could do it though, and he seemed harmless, so I allowed his experiment, believing he would come to see the error of his ways given time. He is more stubborn than I expected."

"Wasn't he always the one so adamantly opposed to those that chose to 'play with their food'?" Caius sneered. The others nodded in agreement. "So what does he call what he and his family have just done? What a hypocrite! What they have done is far worse, in my opinion, than some of the things he so outwardly condemned. No offense, my dear. You are obviously meant for something greater than simply being someone's meal, though the Cullens didn't have the decency to accept your love and loyalty when it was freely given. Pathetic."

I shrugged. Honestly, I agreed with his assessment, so I couldn't complain.

"Bella, child, may I have the honor of changing you?" Marcus asked politely. "I would be delighted to adopt you as my own daughter, if you'd be willing. You'd be an actual member of the Volturi family then, rather than just one of the guard. If you think you could accept me as your new father?"

I smiled widely at him. "I'd love that, Marcus!"

He smiled in return, causing gasps all around. I looked around the room in confusion. He chuckled. "Don't mind them child. It is simply the first time I have smiled in over 2500 years, since the death of my mate. You have given me a reason to appreciate my existence again, and for that I shall be eternally grateful. For all the pain and emptiness I have felt all these years, I would never be stupid enough to throw away someone offering their love to me so freely. I feel sorry for the Cullens, that they couldn't recognize and appreciate the true treasure they were offered and let it slip through their fingers. However, their loss is our gain, and I shall be forever thankful they didn't know what they were missing."

I ran over and gave him a big hug. He froze for a second and then hugged me back, pulling me into his lap. Aro and Caius both laughed good-naturedly.

"I guess this makes you my new niece," Aro decided.

"Mine too," Caius agreed. "If you can make Marcus happy, then you are quite powerful indeed!"

The rest of the room burst out laughing then, including Marcus himself.

"Are you ready, my dear?" Marcus asked after everyone quieted down. "I don't mean to rush you, but if the time line of the cancer's progression is as close as your doctors indicated, then I don't want to take any chances of being too late to begin the transformation."

I grinned. "I was born ready, Father. Well, I've been ready for months anyway. I've already said my goodbyes to my family. Charlie is waiting for the call announcing my death, expecting it any day now, so I just ask that someone call and inform him I was found, that I passed away in my sleep with a smile upon my face. Just in case, could you have someone hack into the airline's computer files and claim that I went to Paris or London or somewhere other than here? He is the Chief of Police, so it would just be safer not to lead him to your doorstep. I'd hate for him to try to come here and visit the body or something, so best to send him on a wild goose chase with a false paper trail."

"No problem, Bella," Aro assured her. "We've got plenty of practice with that type of thing. We'll take care of it."

"I figured," I smirked. "I assumed you'd have a finger in every type of pie imaginable."

All three brothers grinned knowingly.

"Well, then, my dear, if you have no further concerns or requests, I shall move you to my chambers and we can begin. I would have Alec take away your senses so you wouldn't have to feel the pain, but unfortunately your shield prevents his ability to help. However, I shall remain with you while you're burning, for whatever that is worth."

"Thank you, Marcus, Father, I appreciate it."

He carried me off to his room, placed me carefully on the bed, and began gently biting me, pushing his venom into my body. I welcomed the blackness as the burning began.

**XXXXX**

**AN:** So there is Chapter Two for you. Hope you enjoy. What do you think will happen when the Cullens hear she is dead?


	3. Sad Phone Calls

_"Well, then, my dear, if you have no further concerns or requests, I shall move you to my chambers and we can begin. I would have Alec take away your senses so you wouldn't have to feel the pain, but unfortunately your shield prevents his ability to help. However, I shall remain with you while you're burning, for whatever that is worth."_

_"Thanks, Marcus, Father, I appreciate it."_

_He carried me off to his room, placed me carefully on the bed, and began gently biting me. I welcomed the blackness as the burning began._

**Chapter Three - Sad Phone Calls**

Meanwhile, Charlie received a phone call from a French morgue, informing him of the death of his daughter Isabella Marie. They regretted to inform him it was against policy to send dead bodies out of the country, and they had already cremated the remains. They offered to send him the ashes if he preferred, which he accepted.

Charlie only had a few phone calls to make as Bella had not been close to many. He called Renee and Phil, Billy and Jake, and Angela Weber. He had learned that the Cullens had left town earlier that week and wasn't sure whether or not they were with her on her travels, but wanted to call Carlisle just in case. He checked with Forks Hospital to obtain Carlisle's emergency forwarding number, as legally, any doctor who moves MUST provide future contact information, in case they need to be contacted later about a previous patient.

Carlisle picked up after the first ring. It had been less than a week since Bella's birthday, so they weren't settled into their new place yet.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen speaking."

"Hey, Carlisle, it's Charlie."

"Oh, hey, Charlie, how can I help you?" Carlisle was surprised and worried for Charlie to be contacting him now. He heard Edward hiss from his room and come rushing down to the study. Alice was on his heels, having come out of her and Jasper's room. Esme was on her way upstairs as Charlie replied.

"Um, well, I just wanted to invite you and your family to Bella's memorial next week. I don't know if any of you were with her when she passed away, but we're just going to have a small remembrance ceremony to celebrate her brief life with us. You know she was never one to enjoy anyone making a fuss over her. I know you didn't know her long, but I'll always be grateful to your family, particularly Edward and Alice for allowing her to experience a somewhat normal life for a while. I'm glad she got to experience the whole boyfriend/best friend thing before she passed. She truly loved your family and was glad to be a part of it for the time she had."

The vampires were all silent, overwhelmed with shock, fear, and guilt.

"When?" Carlisle choked out, wondering when she had died and how.

"It'll be on Saturday at ten, at my house. If you can't make it, I'll understand."

"We'll be there," Carlisle replied swiftly, his mind still unable to process that his daughter was gone.

"Thanks, Carlisle. See you then." Charlie hung up, and Carlisle stared blankly at his phone before it began beeping at him.

The whole family turned to stare at Edward, who was shaking his head in denial.

"What happened to her?" he demanded, glaring at Alice.

She glared ferociously back at him. "How the hell should I know? Some ASSHOLE insisted I not watch her future!"

Edward sank to his knees. "She can't be dead. She promised to take care of herself!"

Rose snorted. "You mean the danger magnet? Like that was a promise she could keep. What do you care anyway? You obviously didn't love her that much if you were able to leave her."

Edward jumped to his feet and shouted in her face, "How dare you? I left to _protect_ her!"

Rose snorted again. "Yeah, that worked really well, didn't it? She didn't even last three days without you."

"How was I supposed to know that would happen?" he screamed.

"Dude, this is Bella we're talking about, right? The girl who almost got squished by a van only a week after starting school, that almost got gang-raped in Port Angeles because she made a wrong turn? The girl who was hunted by a rogue tracker and fell in love with the one vampire who desired her blood more than any other? The girl who couldn't walk across a flat surface without tripping?" Emmett reminded him. "The bigger question is why _didn't_ you expect this to happen?"

Edward groaned and shook his head. "I just figured we were the most dangerous part of her world, and if we removed ourselves, she would be so much safer."

It was Emmett's turn to snort. "Um, yeah, without us, or more specifically you, she would have been squashed by the van or killed by the rapists months ago."

"At least Alice's visions were right. Either she would become one of us or Edward would kill her," Rose remarked snidely.

Edward growled and snarled at her. She just rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Edward. She begged you for months to change her or allow her to be changed, so you have no one but yourself to blame. I didn't want to condemn her to this life if she had another option, but it's better than being dead."

"I didn't think you believed that," he accused.

She chuckled grimly. "If I didn't believe that, I would have let Emmett die rather than bring him home for Carlisle to change. I'd much rather have Emmett here with me making both of our existences worth living than have let him die and suffered through all these years alone. I may be disappointed that I can't have children, but I would never have tossed Emmett aside the way you did Bella, so she clearly wasn't really your soulmate."

Edward looked ready to kill her, and Carlisle interrupted their exchange. "You know, she may have a point there, son."

He stared at his 'father' in disbelief. "What?"

Carlisle continued thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, you wouldn't have been able to resist changing her once you tasted her blood. Really, once you tasted her lips. I just chalked it up to our diet and your incredible self-control, but you would never have been able to deny her sexual advances, and you would have changed her as soon as she was in danger from James. If not then, then certainly when you found her bitten, you would have simply added your venom to his. I was shocked by your choice at the time, as it is not one I would have made in your shoes, but I assumed we were underestimating your control and your desire to protect our family's secrets. I realize now though, that it really represented a lack of commitment on your part. You didn't change her, because you instinctively knew your bond would not last through the transformation, that she was not meant for you. You simply enjoyed finally not being the odd man out, not being alone. You were intrigued by her silent mind and her scent, and once you found her willing to be with you, you took advantage of it, albeit subconsciously."

The rest of the family was looking at Edward in disgust, all except for Jasper.

"Don't judge him too harshly," Jasper interjected. "Bella never had faith in their bond. She never trusted his love for her. She instinctively realized they weren't meant for forever also, but she loved our family more than anything. So, she was willing to give him a chance, because she wanted so much to be a part of our family. She knew if she broke things of with him, she would lose the rest of us too. I know you think she was an open book, with nothing to hide, but you're wrong. She did keep secrets. I promised her I wouldn't tell you, but she was in great physical pain in the weeks leading up to her birthday, worse even than when she was recovering from James. In fact, it was eerily similar to the burning of the change. When I confronted her, she assured me she was having it checked out by a specialist and didn't want to worry everybody until she had answers. Since she assured me the pain and the silence were both temporary, I agreed to keep her secret. Whenever she was here I did my best to ease her pain. The night of her party, when I tried to bite her, I could sense her emotions. She wasn't afraid at all. She was full of happiness, relief, acceptance, longing, GRATITUDE. She was_ longing_ for the bite, for the transformation. She desperately wanted to become a vampire, WANTED me to bite her. Even more significant, she TRUSTED me to bite her and not kill her, even when I was pouncing toward her. Even though I was attacking, in full vampire mode, my brain was still registering and responding to her emotions. The weirdest part was that even though my beast, the Major, wanted to bite her and drink from her, he fully intended to stop before draining her. He never intended to kill her, but was focused on changing her, recognizing she would be perfect as a vampire and knowing it would be a complete waste to kill her. When I was pulled away from her, she felt resigned, disappointed, fearful, angry, frustrated, and even betrayed. I felt like I _betrayed_ her in _failing_ to bite her. Yet, her feelings of betrayal were not directed at me. She forgave me instantly. Her feelings of betrayal were directed at Edward. She was angry with him for stopping me. She was not fearful of being bitten. She was fearful of NOT being bitten."

Now the family was staring at Jasper.

"Why would she possibly feel that way?" Alice wondered.

"Maybe because it confirmed that Edward was just playing with her, that he really didn't want her forever, that he was just lying to her about his feelings for her," Rose offered bitterly.

"Oh, Bella!" Esme sobbed leaning into Carlisle. "My poor daughter!"

"I can't believe we listened to you, Edward!" Emmett shouted. "Apparently, you had no more right to decide her future than the rest of us did. She wasn't your mate. She was just your sister. How dare you make me leave my own sister, you bastard?"

Carlisle sighed deeply, feeling more exhausted than he ever had since his own change. "Fighting won't bring her back, children. I, for one, am heading back to Forks in hopes of finding out what happened to Bella and to lend support to her grieving family. The rest of you may do as you wish."

Each of them voiced their intention to join, and so they began the long drive back to Forks from their new home in New York.

The Cullens were surprised at how few people were present for the memorial. Was this the sum total of people who cared about Bella? Their family alone made up nearly half the audience.

Once everyone was seated and quiet, Charlie stood up in front of the group. He had a projector and screen set up with pictures depicting Bella's childhood.

"Bella was always an easygoing, loving child. She was a peacemaker, bringing people together and calming tense situations. Even as a toddler, she was always thinking of others, quick to share her toys and things with others. As a result, she had many friends in elementary school. She was always intelligent, observant, perceptive, and intuitive. She saw the world differently from everyone else and always surprised us with her interpretations and deductions. She was helpful, outgoing, and confident. Then she was hit with her first bout of cancer, just after puberty. She had only just begun her monthly cycle when she lost all her internal reproductive organs in surgery. She spent months with radioactive treatment, frequently sick and weak. The odds weren't good at the time, but my Bella was always a survivor. The months of treatment took their toll though. She withdrew into herself after that, becoming shy and withdrawn, though still loving and helpful. By the time she was able to return to school, her friends had moved on to others and rumors had circulated causing her to become somewhat of a pariah. She worked hard to overcome and by the time she started high school, she had managed to make a new place for herself. Unfortunately, the cancer came back, in her brain this time. She went through neurosurgery and then many months of chemotherapy. Amazingly, she didn't lose her hair, but she did suffer through most of the other side effects. The tumor had caused some permanent damage, affecting her balance, rendering her forever clumsy. This round of cancer and chemo took away her self-confidence, though she still managed to be trusting, loving, and forgiving, with such a bright attitude and outlook on life. By the time she was finished with the chemo and fully in remission, her mother Renee had gotten remarried. Bella wanted Renee and Phil to be able to travel together without having to worry about her, so she volunteered to come live with me. I was thrilled at the chance to really get to know my daughter before she moved along into her eternity. We debated about whether or not to give her complete medical history to the hospital or school, but Bella convinced us to keep it quiet. She knew with such a small town, the information was bound to leak and become gossip. She didn't want to be the object of speculation, nor did she want anybody's pity. She just wanted to be able to live a normal life like a normal teenager while it lasted. The doctors had warned us that the cancer would likely return and that if it did, she wouldn't survive the third bout. She knew she was on borrowed time and chose to make the most of the time she had. It turned out to be quite a blessing for Bella that she came here, as she was able to have a boyfriend for the first time. She also made her first real friends since elementary school. I was thrilled at the time she was able to spend with the Cullens and also with Angela Weber. She was so happy for the past six or seven months, and finally started acting like a normal, carefree teenager. Unfortunately, she began feeling the pain in her bones at the beginning of the school year. She didn't tell me at first, not quite ready to give up her freedom, knowing nothing could be done anyway. The day before her birthday she finally went to the specialist in Seattle. It was convenient that her friends, the Cullens, were all busy with preparations for her birthday, as I'm not sure she would have left them to go get checked if they weren't all busy. Two days after her birthday, she received the results. She cried all night, not knowing how she would tell her new friends the news of her condition. The doctors predicted she only had two weeks to a month left to live. I spoke with her before school, and she promised she would talk to Edward after school and then the rest of his family. When I got home that night, she had dinner ready for me. She assured me she had spoken with Edward right after school and then told me she wanted to travel with the limited amount of time she had left. She wanted me to remember her strong and not have me watch her waste away. The doctors had given her some strong pain medicine, so she was still able to function. I gave in quickly to my daughter's last request and let her go. I got the call a few days later. She had passed away in her sleep with a smile on her face. I want to thank all of you here today for the joy, love, and acceptance you brought into her young life and for giving her a chance to experience the best life had to offer, instead of the pain she lived with for so many years. My Bella loved all of you as well."

He took his seat and everyone was quiet, each dealing with their own pain.

"No wonder she was so eager to become on of us," Rose sobbed, speaking too low for human ears. "She knew she had no future as a human. She knew she could never grow old, never have children, any more than we could. At least as a vampire she could still experience the rest, could still exist."

"I knew it!" Jasper whispered back. "I _told_ you she was longing to become a vampire. She knew she was going to die. Oh, man! She knew that night the cancer was back, that her time was almost gone! No wonder she was so upset when Edward prevented her change once again. Gutless bastard! This is all _your_ fault. You've been blaming me, but _I_ would have _saved_ her. _You_ killed her. _You_ condemned her to a painful, lonely death. Golden boy, my ass." The last line was muttered resentfully. He was tired of being the scapegoat of the family, allowing them to unload their bloodlust and negative emotions onto his weary shoulders, while then claiming he was the weak one. Hadn't any of them figured out he absorbed their weakness and fed them strength? Did any of them appreciate him, even half as much as one fragile human girl had? He had never felt love as pure and deep as the love Bella poured out upon him and his family. Bella had figured out the truth about Jasper in the weeks before her birthday, when he eased her pain and fed her peace. Not only had she recognized what he was doing for her, but she quickly made the leap to understand he did it for the whole family. He did it naturally, unconsciously, simply as a way to make life more pleasant for everyone, including himself. She was the one who pointed out to him that he was far from weak, that he was a huge part of his family's strength, because of the sacrifices he made for them on a daily basis. She was the one who had told him he was much stronger than he realized, that his willpower and self-control would rival Carlisle's if the others weren't around to bring him down. It had taken a while, but the seeds she planted, along with the respect, trust, and love she fed him, had helped those ideas take root in his mind. He had intended to confront his family about the ways they affected him and what they could do to help minimize the risk for the whole family, like by hunting more often, but he wanted to wait until after Bella's party. Unfortunately, after the party, they had more pressing concerns, and that little plan for discussion had fallen by the wayside.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Edward wailed under his breath.

"Did you give her a chance? Or did you start right out with telling her you were leaving her and didn't want her to come with you?" Alice demanded.

Edward moaned as he thought about it. "She still should have told me."

Esme looked at him in complete and utter disappointment. "She had too much pride to beg, Edward. If you outright rejected her, she would never push herself on you. Oh, no! The rest of us just abandoned her too! She would have come to us if we had stayed. She must have thought we didn't love her, that we didn't want her if she wasn't with Edward, that she wasn't really part of our family after all. How could we do that to her?"

Edward was devastated as his family's thoughts accused and condemned him for his choices and his treatment of the girl they all loved. For himself though, a large part of him still felt he had made the right decision. He still believed she was better off dead than as one of them.

"I need to be alone for a while," he told the others and then ran off through the woods. Deliberately keeping his mind focused on simply running through the wilderness, he ran to the airport and caught the next plane to Italy.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**AN**: I think we all know where Edward's headed . . .


	4. Be Careful What You Ask For

_Edward was devastated as his family's thoughts accused and condemned him for his choices and his treatment of the girl they all loved. For himself though, a large part of him still felt he had made the right decision. He still believed she was better off dead than as one of them._

_"I need to be alone for a while," he told the others and then ran off through the woods. Deliberately keeping his mind focused on simply running through the wilderness, he ran to the airport and caught the next plane to Italy._

**Chapter Four - Be Careful What You Ask For**

Aro was surprised to find Edward Cullen requesting an audience the next day. He and his brothers were waiting when Edward was led into the receiving chamber. Aro had dismissed all but a handful of his guard, whom he had warned to guard their thoughts, in anticipation of Edward's presence.

"Ah, young Edward, what brings you here today?" he inquired with fake cheer.

"I have come to beg you to end my existence. My mate has passed on, and I wish to join her in the afterlife," he requested.

Caius and Marcus exchanged evil smirks, both eager to grant his request.

"Indeed? I must request you come share your story with me," Aro insisted, holding out his hand. Edward stepped forward without a second thought, placing his hand in Aro's. He watched his memories in Aro's mind. It only took a few seconds for Aro to process his entire existence, after which Aro thrust him violently away, narrowing his eyes menacingly.

"So you believe you made the right choice, do you? You believe Bella is better off dead than as a vampire?" he growled angrily.

Edward squared his shoulders and stood his ground. "Yes, I do. I never wanted her to become a monster like me. I would not take away her soul."

The brothers and their guard all growled at him. "It is a good thing she came to us then, isn't it?" Caius sneered.

"What?" Edward shrieked. "What do you mean?"

"He means that Bella came to us last week requesting we change her, which we have already done. She is really quite controlled, having almost completely skipped the newborn stage. She is rather powerful as well, an excellent addition to our coven," Marcus informed him smugly.

"NO!" Edward screamed. "You're lying! Bella wouldn't come here! She wouldn't join you!"

Aro laughed. "Look out that window there. She's in the courtyard below, hanging out with Heidi and Chelsea."

Edward raced over to the window and was dismayed at the sight of a red eyed vampire Bella, sitting and laughing with two female human drinkers. His features contorted with rage. "How dare she? How could she? She was supposed to stay human! She was never supposed to be one of us!"

Felix dragged him away from the window before he could smash it. He threw Edward down on the ground in front of the brothers' thrones, growling with disgust at the miserable vampire. The brothers glared at him righteously.

"We have decided to grant your request, Edward. We will gladly send you along to the afterlife," Caius sneered.

"No, wait! I've changed my mind!" Edward protested.

"Too bad," Marcus growled. "Our decision is final."

"I won't leave Bella here with you!" Edward insisted.

"Like you have a choice!" Aro laughed. "She is ours now. She is no longer your concern. Besides, you broke our main law by leaving behind a human with knowledge of our existence. That law carries the death penalty for the one who breaks it."

"Please, Felix, show Mr. Cullen here the error of his ways," Caius ordered triumphantly. The three brothers watched as Felix and the other guard members slowly pulled Edward apart into tiny pieces before finally granting him the mercy of burning the pieces to ash.

"Justice has been served," Caius remarked smugly as the last of the fire burnt out. "What of the other Cullens?"

Aro glowered at the pile of ash. "He deceived them as well, convincing them it would be in her best interest if they left. They didn't want to go, but believed she was his mate and didn't want to interfere between them. They have only just started questioning the lines he has been feeding them and the full extent of his deception. They trusted him, and he led them astray. Apparently, they really do love our girl. We shall give it some time and see how it goes. His memory did bring up a more pressing matter though. The tracker who bit Bella was survived by his mate Victoria. Edward dismissed her as a nonthreat, but he was greatly underestimating her. I have seen her before in the minds of other vampires. She has the gift of escape and thus is very hard to catch, but she was just as sadistic and vindictive as James. She will be planning revenge and will be looking to kill Bella. Demetri, I need you to track her down and bring her here to me. I advise you to take Jane and Alec with you. She will be no match for them."

Demetri nodded and bowed and then was gone, Jane and Alec on his heels.

"Should we send Edward's ashes to Carlisle?" Marcus pondered.

"The young bastard doesn't deserve for his ashes to be treated with respect," Caius declared with a grimace.

"I suppose we should. I do hope Carlisle doesn't hold it against us. Even he must admit that Edward did break the law definitively. We were well within our rights and obligations to destroy him, even if we weren't emotionally attached to his victim," Aro commented. "I'd like to take care of the business with Victoria first, however."

"Fair enough," Marcus agreed. "Felix, please clean the ashes up off the floor and box them to be shipped to Carlisle in America, but don't send the parcel until you are told."

"Yes, Master," Felix accepted with a bow. He headed out to the utility closet for a broom, a dustpan, and a plastic bag. He already loved Bella like a little sister, even after just a few days, and he agreed with Caius that Edward's ashes didn't deserve any respect. _How dare that asshole treat Bella that way? How dare he think Bella would be better off dead than as a vampire? What a little shit. Good riddance. He clearly didn't deserve to be anywhere near Bella. _Felix decided if a little dirt and dust were mixed in with the ashes, then it was only par for the course with Edward's personality. He was tempted to add in a bit of manure from the garden, but resisted, knowing it would mar the odor of the ashes to the extent that Carlisle might not be certain the ashes were of Edward. _Can't have that, can we?_

A few days later, Demetri returned dragging Victoria. Alec had taken away her senses of sight, sound, and smell, which were interfering with her ability to escape, but he had kept her other senses intact so Jane could work her own particular brand of magic on the bitch. All of the Volturi had become rather fond of Bella in the short period of time they had come to know her, and these three were no exception. They were angry that Victoria wished to harm the Princess – her new title since being adopted by Marcus. The changes she had wrought on not only Marcus, but on Aro and Caius as well, had quickly cemented her place in the hearts of the entire guard. Bella was clearly the best addition they had ever made to their elite group, and the guard was devoted to her safety and well-being. As such, Victoria's trip to Volterra was a never-ending hell for her. Not only did Jane torture her with her gift, but Demetri would frequently pull her just a little too hard, separating her from her arm, hand, or fingers. He would apologize insincerely and then allow her to knit back together again. The pain of body parts both separating and rejoining was excruciating.

The newborn companion she had made, Riley, was with them as well, seeing as he was claiming to be her mate. It frustrated her to have him publicly claim her as such, but she only had herself to blame for that. She had told him he was her mate in order to get him to be obedient to her every whim. He could be the key to her escape and survival now, so she didn't dare refute his claim just yet, not while he could still be useful to her.

Once in the castle, they were met by Felix, who quickly took charge of Riley. He looked at Victoria with distaste. "Well, look what the cat dragged in here," he taunted. Riley growled and struggled, not liking the way he was talking to Victoria, but Felix simply kicked him hard in the balls and the fight went right out of him. In fact, he was docile as a kitten for quite some time after that.

They brought both of them before the kings. Aro glided over to the immobile Victoria and grabbed her hand, reading her memories. A few moments later he dropped her hand as if it were contaminated. Alec restored her hearing, in anticipation of Aro's decree.

"As you intended to do to Bella, so shall it be done to you," Aro growled. He gave instructions to Afton, the sadistic vampire in charge of the torture chamber, which was reserved for very special cases. "Take her to the dungeon and let her feel the pain she wished to inflict on another."

"No!" Victoria screamed. "I have the right to avenge my mate!"

"Except your mate is the one who started it. He brought about his own demise by foolishly challenging a large, gifted coven, all to play a stupid game. The same game he has played multiple times over the years. He was cocky and arrogant and deserved what he got. If your mate was foolish enough to play Russian roulette, it does no good to blame the bullet for his demise. He is the one who pulled the trigger. It's amazing he lasted as long as he did, especially considering his blatant disregard for our laws," Aro snarled.

Victoria shrieked in defiance as she was hauled away.

"By the way, Victoria, James was using you the way you've been using Riley here. He never truly considered you his mate. He lied to you, just as you've lied to Riley," Marcus added smugly.

"Noooo!" Victoria howled as the door closed, muffling the sound.

"What?" Riley demanded. "What do you mean? She wasn't lying – she is my mate!"

Marcus shook his head in denial. "Sorry, Riley, but my gift is to see relationships. She didn't give a damn for you personally. You were just a means to an end."

Riley crouched and attempted to pounce on Marcus, unwilling to hear the truth and looking for someone to blame. As he sprang, Felix fired his flame gun, reducing Riley to a pile of ash. Marcus sighed as he asked Felix to sweep up the new mess and dispose of it around the rose bushes in the east garden.

Bella entered the throne room a few minutes later and saw how self-satisfied the kings seemed to be. "Well, don't you look like the cats who ate the canaries, Father, Uncles. What did I miss?" She came over and sat in Marcus's lap as the three vampires smiled lovingly at her.

"Well, dear, I have good news for you. Victoria has been taken care of, so you need have no fear of her attempting revenge against you," Marcus informed her.

"She wanted revenge against me?" Bella asked in disbelief. The kings nodded. "That bitch! It wasn't bad enough for James to hunt me down, beat me up, and then bite me, but she wanted to make me suffer even more for his stupidity?"

The kings nodded again. "But don't worry, my dear. She has gotten to experience everything she had planned for you, courtesy of our torture chamber," Caius assured her.

Bella snorted and muttered, "Good riddance."

"We had another visitor, Bella," Aro began hesitantly, unsure how she would handle the news. She looked at him expectantly. "Edward came here begging for death. It seems he learned of your death and came to end his existence."

"What? Why?" Bella wondered, truly confused. "Why the hell would he respond that way? He left me! He didn't want me! Oh, he probably learned about the cancer and felt guilty. I see. Did you tell him I wasn't really dead?"

"Yes, we did," Aro replied, looking down.

"And . . .," Bella encouraged, wanting to know how he responded.

"Actually, Bella, he was very upset and declared it would have been better for you to have died than to be a vampire now," Caius sneered angrily. "Since he had so little appreciation for the gift of immortality, we decided to remove that gift from him. We burnt him to ash, so his 'spirit' could be at peace."

"As it burns in hell," Felix muttered. "Ungrateful asshole."

Bella gaped at them for a minute. "He actually said he would have preferred for me to die?"

They all nodded in disgust. "Well, screw him! You're right. He didn't deserve this existence if he had so little appreciation for it that he believed death was preferable. Asshole!"

The guard all tried to hide their chuckles, while the kings attempted to maintain a stern demeanor long enough to scold her for her use of foul language.

"The good news," Aro shared. "is that I was able to see what happened in the case of your little psychic pixie. I did indeed discover the identity of the 'old one' who made her. In fact, he is still alive, and I shall send Demitri and Alec to fetch him back to the palace, so we can hook the two of them back together. It should be a rather interesting reunion."

Bella bounced excitedly in Marcus's lap. "Awesome!" She jumped up to kiss Aro on the cheek. "Thanks, Uncle Aro."

While Demitri and Alec were off on their mission, Bella was in conference with the three kings and the elite guard.

Bella introduced a proposal. "You know, guys, killing humans is like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Blood is a renewable resource. If you want a wool sweater, you don't go kill a sheep. It would be a total waste of resources. Look, you've got more money than you know what to do with, right? So open up blood banks in several major cities. Have bloodmobiles travel around the less affluent areas of town and pay people for donations. Carlisle objects to drinking donated blood because it takes blood away from the sick or injured humans in need of a transfusion. However, you could actually kill two birds with one stone. Carlisle is working to preserve the human race, which is truly a smart proposition, like humans have veterinarians to care for their farm animals. Shouldn't you want to preserve your food source? I mean, is it really all that different to a human drinking milk from a cow? So, by opening up the blood banks, you can both benefit humanity and feed vampires at the same time. Simply give or sell the 'medical grade' blood to the hospitals and use the rest of the blood for vampires. They have machines which will heat the blood up to body temperature already. Simply use something like that to prepare the blood and then you have it ready and available whenever and wherever you want. It's portable and much less revealing. Plus, not only does nobody need to die to feed us all, but there is truly no moral dilemma as the blood has been bought and paid for fair and square. Using vampires to test the blood for contaminants that are too risky for human transfusion would be much faster and more efficient, reducing the costs significantly, providing a great benefit to the medical community. It is a win/win scenario all around, including providing jobs for both humans and vampires, as well as the redistribution of wealth within the community to help stimulate the economy. All in all, I really can't imagine why you haven't all considered this before now."

The kings and guard discussed her ideas and agreed they were well worth a try. Immediately, several guard members were assigned the duty of setting up blood banks and beginning the process of acquiring donations.

They also sent the Cullens a royal summons, demanding their presence before the Royal Council in Volterra.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**AN:** Next chapter should be quite interesting, don't you think?


	5. Visitors to Volterra

_The kings and guard discussed her ideas and agreed they were well worth a try. Immediately, several guard members were assigned the duty of setting up blood banks and beginning the process of acquiring donations._

****_  
_

**Chapter Five - Visitors to Volterra**

Once Alice's maker was located, the Cullen clan was 'invited' to Volterra. The kings decided to present the ashes to Carlisle in person. The Cullens were understandably nervous to receive the summons to Italy, but they could hardly refuse without bringing the wrath of the Volturi down upon themselves, so they reluctantly made arrangements to go.

Once they arrived at the castle, they were led into the throne room, where only the three kings and their personal guards were in attendance. Aro insisted upon reading all of their memories before revealing any of his reasons for inviting them there. Upon determining that they did not feel the same about Bella's death as Edward had, he proceeded to catch them up to speed on recent developments. After reading Jasper and before speaking, he exchanged meaningful glances with Caius and Marcus. All three of them seemed quite smug after that.

"We've had a few interesting visitors lately, Carlisle," Aro began.

"Indeed?" Carlisle inquired politely, knowing the games Aro liked to play with people and deciding the best course of action was to play along. "And who might they be?"

"The first was a very angry young lady who informed us that your son had abandoned her after telling her she wasn't good enough for him." There were several gasps, both hopeful and outraged.

"The no good piece of shit said WHAT to her? He's dead. He's worse than dead. He's going to be _begging_ me to burn his ass, once I start showing him all the ways vampires can feel pain. I'll finally be able to put all the knowledge of torture I gained from my time with Maria to good use," Jasper muttered, fists clenched, teeth gritted, though there was a spark of hope in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He kept surreptitiously turning his head this way and that, inhaling deeply, as if searching for something. Caius smiled and nodded approvingly at Jasper's outburst. To the shock of the Cullens, even Marcus's face split into a grin before he tried to hide it.

Aro flashed Jasper a quick wink, before continuing as if he hadn't heard any interruptions. "She was dying of cancer and wasn't yet ready to end her life, and thus wished to become one of us. Since Edward refused to grant her request, she came to us, hoping we would be more amenable to her wishes. We were very disturbed to learn how careless Edward had been, breaking our primary law, allowing a human to gain knowledge of our existence, refusing to change said human, and then even insulting and abandoning that human, providing her with the perfect excuse to reveal her knowledge to the world. Luckily for all of you, she kept our secret, despite being a woman scorned. She had no desire for revenge, against him or any of the other vampires who abandoned her without a word, seeking only to be allowed to prolong her time on earth."

"Our Bella!" Esme exclaimed. "Is she here? Did you change her?"

"Thank God!" Carlisle whispered prayerfully.

"Can we see her?" Alice begged. Jasper was frozen like a statue, every aspect of his being focused on Aro, awaiting further enlightenment.

The kings all smiled to see their pleading expressions. "Yes, I changed her and adopted her as my daughter. She is now a member of our family, not just of the guard, making her the Princess of the Volturi," Marcus announced proudly. "She sits with me upon my throne, as Aro's and Caius' wives share with them."

"Yesss!" Jasper hissed joyfully, his whole body sagging with relief. His eyes began darting around, testing the shadows, as if expecting Bella to suddenly appear out of thin air.

"Awesome!" Emmett boomed excitedly. "So where is she? Does she know we're here?"

"All in good time," Caius stated with a mild scowl. "There is the matter of the second visitor to be discussed first. A certain gifted mind reader arrived in our fair city to seek a favor from the court. He begged to be released from his existence as a vampire, to have his flesh incinerated and his spirit set free. We were hesitant to grant his request, especially considering our friendship with you, dear Carlisle, and his former relationship with my beloved niece, as he referred to her death as the reason for his desire to end his existence. However, when we informed him that she still walked upon the earth, only as a vampire now, he raged at her transformation, wishing she had been allowed to die rather than be changed. As we had all grown quite fond of _our_ Bella, we took exception to his insistence he would have rather her be dead than be a vampire. At that point, we chose to grant his request, figuring if he loathed his existence to such an extent, then we would not force him to continue it." He was smirking smugly as he delivered the last line.

"He said _what_?" Emmett howled in outrage.

"That bastard!" Rose snarled. "How dare he?"

Carlisle was shaking his head and moaning. "I never should have changed him. He was clearly too young."

Esme was sobbing into Carlisle's chest, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"I can't believe he was so selfish and stupid!" Alice exclaimed bitterly.

"I'm glad he's dead," Jasper muttered, growling to himself. "Self-righteous prick! I should have killed him ages ago. He never deserved an angel like Bella."

The kings were pleased with their responses to Edward's disgusting comments, and the news of his demise. Marcus instructed Felix to present Carlisle with the package containing Edward's ashes. Carlisle accepted it solemnly, but did not make any further comment regarding his son.

He realized the kings did not seem to be done with them yet. "Were there any other visitors of interest?" he asked hesitantly. _Who else could have been here?_

Aro nodded. "Indeed. Our next guest was Victoria, accompanied by a newborn she had created to help her get her revenge on Bella in particular and eventually the rest of you for the loss of James, whom she considered to be her mate."

The Cullens gasped in shock. "Victoria?"

"Revenge?"

"I told you all we should have gone after her and eliminated her once we finished off James, but no, Edward insisted there was no need, and I was outvoted! You don't bet against Alice, and you shouldn't have bet against the advice of an experienced military leader when it came to tactical and strategical maneuvers," Jasper griped. "I told you she would be trouble, but you didn't listen! Instead, you let Edward decide to leave her unprotected completely at Victoria's mercy."

They all looked at him apologetically, and he shrugged, accepting that no one could change the past and hoping they would keep it in mind for the future. He knew he wouldn't make the mistake of letting others talk him out of doing what he felt was right again. He should have just taken care of it himself, no matter what the rest of the coven felt. They didn't have experience dealing with vampires like James and Victoria, while he did. He should have trusted his instincts and experience and not allowed himself to be steamrolled by pacifists and cowards.

Caius nodded respectfully to Jasper and smirked at the rest. "Well, Aro determined all the torture techniques she intended to use on Bella and informed the dungeon master to use them on her instead. Her last days on earth were rather unpleasant, if I do say so myself. She was rather creative in some of her ideas of punishments, a fact which I believe she deeply regretted as she learned first hand how painful they could be. Her newborn companion was not forced to suffer as she was, since he was merely a tool. He welcomed the flames that incinerated him."

The Cullens took a few minutes to absorb this latest bit of information. Jasper was the most horrified, having the clearest understanding of any of them the type of tortures Victoria had likely devised. The worst part was knowing that would have been Bella's fate if she had not gone straight to the Volturi after the Cullens left her. She was left defenseless against one of the most sadistic vampires Jasper had encountered in over half a century, all because Fuckward had gotten cold feet and run away with his tail tucked between his legs like a bloody damn coward of the worst kind. The pathetic prick had used his mindreading talents to manipulate each one of his family members, playing on their guilt, weaknesses, and worst fears to convince them leaving Bella would be the best thing for her. It was total bullshit, but they hadn't seen through it until it was already too late. Jasper unconsciously began separating himself away from the rest of his family. Carlisle was the coven leader, the father figure, and he had allowed a mere frightened child to lead the entire coven astray, causing them to endanger and offend their weakest but most important member.

After recovering some from the guilt and self-loathing consuming the Cullens upon learning the extent of their stupidity in leaving their newest and youngest family member behind, Carlisle grimaced and looked up at the kings hesitantly. "I almost hate to ask if there was anyone else?"

This time Aro beamed at him. "Indeed, I have located an old friend of yours, Carlisle, who is eager to be reunited with you."

Carlisle regarded him warily, unsure of whom he was speaking. He wasn't sure whether or not to trust Aro's sudden good humor in light of the way the rest of the meeting had been going thus far.

Aro grinned widely. "As a matter of fact, you are not the only old friend of his. He also happens to be the young psychic's sire."

Alice gasped in shock. "What? Who? I thought James had killed him?"

Aro smiled gently at her. "No, though James did fight him and disassemble him, spreading the pieces far and wide. It took several decades for him to restore himself back to one piece. His mind hasn't been quite right since then, as James had told him he found you in the middle of your change and destroyed you while you lay helpless to the burning. Since James described the place where your sire had hidden you and produced the bloody clothing you were wearing at the time of your change, he believed James's story. However, though James found you, he was too intent on destroying your maker to bother destroying you. By the time James returned to finish you off, you had disappeared. Your poor sire became a total recluse, avoiding all social contact afterward, believing you to be dead and gone."

The door opened and a short male vampire in a state of disarray strolled in, glancing all around and twitching nervously. He was followed discreetly by Bella, who wanted a front row seat to whatever was about to unfold. The unkempt vampire's paranoid gaze lit upon the Cullens, one in particular.

"Alis?" Alice gasped in amazement, her memories of her caretaker in the mental institution rushing back to her suddenly.

"Mary?" the new vampire whispered in awe. "My sweet Mary, is it really you?"

"Alistair?" Carlisle inquired in confusion.

"Carlisle?" Alistair replied without taking his eyes off of Alice. "Has she been with you all this time?"

Alice ran to him and embraced him, as he met her halfway. Carlisle had never seen the strange little man so full of joy, love, and hope.

Marcus chuckled. "You see, Alistair, there is hope. You have been reunited with your soulmate after all."

Alice pulled back, shocked, and turned an anguished gaze back to Jasper. He was staring at her and Alistair in confusion and despair.

Aro grinned excitedly. "You see Alice, when you awoke with only the memory of the name 'Alis', it was not _your_ name, but your _mate's _name that you were remembering. You had always gone by Mary before. It was sheer coincidence that your middle name was actually Alice. Alis was your personal nickname for Alistair."

Alice nodded, remembering certain vague human memories now. Jasper turned away from them. It was hard enough for him to feel the massive love between them. He couldn't bear to see them together too. Now what was he supposed to do? Alice was his everything. Where would he go? He couldn't stay and watch the woman he loved be intimate with another.

Bella chose that moment to reveal herself. She walked straight up to Jasper and gave him a loving hug. "You're always welcome to stay with me, Jazz," Bella offered. "I would love to have you here with me."

**AN:** Ah, the moment you've all been waiting for - Jasper and Bella reunited at last . . .

So, what did you think of the Alistair twist? Kind of makes sense, doesn't it? After all, Alice had supposedly been in the mental institution since she was a small child, like around age seven. Since when does a hospital ever address a patient by their middle name, even if that is what their family calls them? So why would Alice forget everything but her own middle name?


	6. Happily Ever After?

_Bella chose that moment to reveal herself. She walked straight up to Jasper and gave him a loving hug. "You're always welcome to stay with me, Jazz," Bella offered. "I would love to have you here with me."_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter Six - Happily Ever After?**

Jasper felt a huge shockwave of pleasure travel through his body the moment he came in contact with Bella. He wrapped his arms around her and refused to let her pull away. He inhaled her new vampire scent and felt his body immediately begin to respond sexually to her scent. This startled him enough to lean back and look deep into her eyes. The crimson vortexes staring up at him drew him in until he felt like he was falling inside of her. He felt as if something was passing back and forth between them, an energy or a spirit connecting and bonding them together. To his amazement, there was no disgust or judgment in her verdant pools, despite the fact he felt as if she could see his very soul, as if she knew all his weaknesses and past sins but had deemed them irrelevant to her feelings for him. He began softly purring and started nuzzling her neck, rubbing himself against her instinctively to coat her in his scent. A lightning bolt epiphany struck him as he realized what he was doing. Isabella Swan was his true mate, just as Alistair was Alice's.

Bella pulled back slightly and raised her eyebrows in silent question, reminding him of her offer for him to stay in Volterra with her, rather than return to America with the Cullens. Jasper smirked in response, knowing there was really no question as to what he would choose. He'd never leave his mate behind, now that he had found her. Wherever she went he would follow, to the ends of the earth and beyond. He would rather have all his limbs removed than cause his mate pain or distress. If staying with the Volturi made her happy, he would gladly comply. He was a flexible man, easily pleased and able to be comfortable with all kinds of vampires. He had no problem living with human drinkers. In fact, if his mate chose to drink from humans, he'd join her in that as well. He could render his victims unconscious before draining them, reducing any exposure to their negative feelings. Being with his mate would provide a level of euphoria that would counteract the bad feelings of others regardless.

So, Jasper didn't have to think about it at all before quickly agreeing to Bella's offer. He felt his family's feelings of hurt and betrayal, but he blocked them out. The way Bella looked at him made him feel like a man, a strong warrior. Alice had always looked at him as if he might snap any minute, as if he were the weak link of the family, as if his monster was barely contained and might rip free at any moment. Alice had always tried to control him and made him feel like he was damaged goods who could never quite live up to her expectations of pristine perfection. Yes, he could certainly get used to the love, respect, admiration, and desire he felt from Bella whenever she regarded him through her heavy-lidded crimson eyes. In fact, he had forgotten just how sexy crimson eyes could be. Here in the arms of his mate, Jasper was feeling better than he ever had in his life, both human and vampire.

"Both of you are welcome to stay with us!" Carlisle protested, not wanting to lose two of his precious children. Esme quickly agreed, flitting over and unintentionally interrupting their private moment, as she threw her arms around them both.

This didn't endear them to Jasper and Bella, who both stared at them as if they were crazy.

"I think we'll just stay here for a while, but I'm sure we'll come visit before too long, and you're always welcome to visit us," Bella replied diplomatically. Bella was still upset at the way the Cullens had abandoned her, even if it was really Edward's fault. She knew she would forgive them, but she wasn't quite ready to trust them with her wellbeing again so soon.

Jasper was upset on behalf of his mate, for the way they underestimated her and abandoned her, but he was also angry that they hadn't listened to him on several key points that would have made a difference in the way things were handled regarding Bella, Edward, and the nomads. Additionally, he was feeling resentful at the way Alice had always made him feel inferior for his past, making him hide his scars, his accent, his military background, and his tastes in clothes, vehicles, music, art, etc. She had turned him into someone he didn't even recognize, like, or respect - a preppy, shy, silent pacifist, submissive to his wife's every desire, whim, and command. In only a matter of minutes, Bella was restoring his sense of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. He was remembering who he really was, back before he suppressed all his natural personality, instincts, desires, wishes, history, and skills in order to fit Alice's image of who he ought to be. Now that he knew Alice wasn't his mate and had no right to force him into a shell of himself, unable to think or make decisions without consulting her first, he was angry about the sacrifices he had made on her behalf. He was remorseful about letting his relationship with Peter and Charlotte slip through the cracks, just because Alice didn't approve of them, and they didn't approve of her. He was suddenly conscious of all the mistakes he'd made over the years, blinded by his gratitude at being 'rescued' from his lonely existence. The unconditional love and support he was now receiving from Bella was making him distinctly aware of all he had been missing over the years. He wondered now how he had ever believed Alice was his mate when she didn't actually like or love who he really was, instead loving the idea, the character she had created in her mind and forced him to personify. He felt the need to be away from her for awhile, fearing he might snap at her or otherwise express his anger and frustration with her in a way they would all later regret. He also had no desire to watch her public displays of affection with her new mate, even though he too had a new mate. After all, she had been lying to him for years, convincing him what they had was all they were ever meant to have. Some instinctive male part of him would naturally balk at seeing his wife of fifty years kissing another man, even though he didn't want her for himself anymore.

"Don't worry, Carlisle. We'll take good care of Bella and Jasper," Aro assured him, grinning smugly as he stepped up behind the couple. "Major Whitlock is certainly an incredible asset for any coven he chooses to join. We consider ourselves very lucky to have him with us. Jasper, you are welcome to continue hunting animals or to drink donated blood like the rest of us. Bella has convinced us to open up blood bank operations that pays for donations and then provides the clean blood to the hospitals and clinics, while providing all blood considered unfit for human medical use to the vampire world. Thus, all blood we drink now is freely given and duly paid for, without reducing the supply available for human medical services. In fact, we are actually doing our part to help the humans, as we have vastly improved the quality and quantity of medical grade blood while also improving the speed of both testing and delivering. We heat the blood to 99 degrees before drinking, which makes the flavor virtually indistinguishable from that obtained fresh from the source. Bella made a very convincing argument against killing humans merely to satisfy our thirst. We are really quite pleased with the results. The donated blood is so much less messy, and there are no corpses to dispose of afterward. Thus, not only is it easier and less risky to obtain, but it is also available at all times – no need to have set feeding times or rely on fluctuating tourist traffic. A win/win for everyone, humans and vampires alike. That should please you, Carlisle."

Carlisle appeared distinctly disconcerted. He really couldn't argue against it. If anything, their plan was better than his, at least in terms of more helpful to the world's human and vampire populations, yet it still felt wrong to him. It disturbed him greatly, for he had always considered his way to be morally superior and had found a sense of pride and contentment in that knowledge. However, now his way of life was challenged in a way that left him unable to defend it as superior. The only advantage his way had was the production of yellow eyes versus red, making it easier to blend in with the humans. However, his way had several disadvantages compared to the Volturi's plan. The vegetarians still killed their prey, requiring the disposal of the corpses and the careful monitoring of animal populations to avoid overfeeding in a particular area or within a species. They could easily be accused of carelessly wasting valuable resources and increasing the risk of exposure. Additionally, they would always suffer the thirst, as the animal blood never fully satisfied them, whereas the donated human blood was just as thirst-quenching as the fresh stuff. The human drinkers would actually be more stable around humans than the animal drinkers, as long as the human drinkers kept themselves well fed. They would have an easier time resisting open wounds than the vegetarians, because their thirst could be fully sated, unlike the vegetarians' thirst. The only way for the Cullens to improve upon the Volturi plan would be to open up veterinary blood banks to supply their needs, so they wouldn't have to kill the animals. Yet, that still wouldn't be providing the kind of service the human blood banks did for the world. It wouldn't be saving human lives, the way the Volturi plan did. Carlisle didn't know what to say, so he chose to remain silent on the subject for the time being. He needed time to process all that he had learned in such a short period of time.

Alistair was thrilled to be reunited with his soul mate and couldn't wait to marry her, as he had planned so many years ago. Aro agreed to officiate over the nuptials the following morning. The Cullens were amazed that Alice readily agreed, not insisting on months to plan an elaborate affair with custom wardrobes and handmade decorations. It was obvious how much she had been secretly coping with loss and emptiness via her shopping addiction as they watched her interact with her new mate, oblivious to his wrinkled, dusty, outdated outfit. There was a peace about her that had never been present before. No longer was she bouncing around, filled with nervous energy. Instead, her entire being was focused on her mate, calm and still in his embrace.

The Cullens felt bad for Jasper at first, seeing the love emanating from the reunited couple, but soon realized he had found a new focus for his own feelings and attention. He and Bella had separated from everyone else and were lost in their own little world together as she brought him up to speed on everything she had seen, done, and learned since they had last seen one another.

It was decided for all the Cullens to spend the night in order to attend the wedding of Alistair and Alice the next morning. Jasper and Alice agreed to dissolve their marriage instantly and amicably, without the necessity of human paperwork and lawyers. Since neither Jasper Hale nor Alice Cullen had ever actually existed, the marriage was never truly valid in the first place. Alice was choosing to be married using her original maiden name of Mary Alice Brandon, and Jasper was reverting to his own human name of Whitlock.

To the Cullens' surprise the next morning, Alice's wedding was then followed immediately by Jasper's wedding to Bella, with Aro cheerfully officiating over both unions. The Volturi brothers granted Jasper and Bella exclusive use of a private honeymoon 'cottage' on a private beach far from prying eyes, which the new couple eagerly accepted. In fact, despite the fact their vows were said after Alice's and Alistair's, they were in the air on one of Aro's private jets long before Alice even considered tossing her bouquet at the reception.

The time came for the remaining Cullens to return to America, but they found they really didn't want to leave. They still considered Bella, Jasper, and Alice to be part of their family, along with Alistair now, and they couldn't stand the idea of losing them. After an intense discussion between Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett, the Cullens decided to move to Europe. They wanted to be close enough to visit their Jasper and Bella, but far enough from the Volturi that they wouldn't have Aro breathing down their necks. They also wanted to be close to Alice and Alistair, who were going to be living in his old family home in England for a while.

Carlisle and Esme got over Edward's death surprisingly quickly once they realized how much happier and more relaxed everyone was without him brooding or judging their thoughts. They loved their new mental privacy, though they still had to put up with Alice foreseeing things. At least she was so preoccupied with Alistair that she no longer actively sought visions, just letting the important ones come to her naturally. She was much too happy living in the present to waste precious time scanning the future.

Jasper was thrilled that Alice could no longer see his future, now that he lived in the Volturi stronghold with Bella. He was well respected by all the vampires there, and nobody in Volterra ever dared think of him as weak. Those who had tried were quickly put in their place within the first two weeks. His fighting skills alone had won their respect, and when combined with his gift, he was formidable indeed.

Now that he and Bella were together as a couple, they were virtually unstoppable, as Bella naturally shielded him as well as herself, and he taught her how to fight. Aro was happy that neither of them thirsted for power and were perfectly content to simply be part of a 'family', as they had come to think of many of the elite guard, along with the three brothers themselves and their wives. Aro was fully aware that as long as he treated them both with respect and caring, they would be completely loyal. Having their talents and gifts added to his already impressive collection made the Volturi nearly indestructible, nearly impervious to attack, so Aro was thrilled to adopt them as his niece and nephew, giving them anything that would make them happy. In return, their insight and compassion helped the Volturi get in touch with their own humanity, causing their rulings to be much more 'humane'. They also helped curb Aro's power collecting instincts and Caius's violent, sadistic proclivities, while bringing joy and meaning back to Marcus's existence.

They all lived happily ever after, except Edward.

Edward was very surprised to see his mother waiting for him after his death. She didn't look happy. In fact, the first thing she did was take him over her knee and whip his butt good. She then proceeded to lecture him over every mistake he had made in the years since her death and every time he had disappointed her by not living up to her expectations of him. She also showed him all the good things that would have come his way if he had only accepted his fate and made the most out of being a vampire, rather than considering himself damned and sabotaging his own happiness. As he suffered through the lectures, the spanking, and the knowledge of what could have been, he couldn't help but wonder – was he in _Heaven_ or _Hell?_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**AN:** Hope you enjoyed this. I know it was quick, but I always intended it to be a short story. I'll probably be doing a more in depth Jasper/Bella story soon, for those of you who were disappointed not to see more of Jasper.


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